Carrier for a laundry system



Sept. 12-, 1967' -l R. KEMBERLING 3,340,823

" CARRIER FOR A LAUNDRY SYSTEM Filed June 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

LEE R. KEMBERLING RONALD E. BARRY ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1967 L. R. KEMBERLING CARRIER FOR A LAUNDRY SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 7.

Filed June 2, 1965 INVENTOR. LEE R. KEMBERLI NG RONALD E. BARRY n mm 1 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,340,823 CARRIER FOR A LAUNDRY SYSTEM Lee R. Kemberling, Brookfield, Wis., assignor to Ludell Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wis. Filed June 2, 1965, Ser. No. 460,805 Claims. (Cl. 105-148) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a laundry system which includes: a conveyor for suspending a sling above a laun dry machine; a sling, made of a flexible material, with a hoop at one end for supporting it on a loading stand and on a conveyor and a hoop at the other end connected to a-closeable nozzle for guiding the laundry into the machine; and elastic bands sewn to the flexible material that are stretched when the sling is loaded and which contract when the sling is unloaded to clear the nozzle from the laundry machine so the carrier can continue along the conveyor.

This invention relates to automated industrial laundry systems of the type which utilize remoyeable slings or carriers for picking up and depositing laundry in the machine and more particularly to an improved sling or carrier for use in such systems.

Industrial laundry equipment is set up to operate on an assembly line principle with the laundry being collected in slings or carriers that are supported in moveable loading stands. The loading stand is placed at a convenient point in the plant to pick up the laundry and is rolled to a pick up station below a conveyor on which hangers are mounted for raising the slings or carriers from the stands to a height suflicient to clear the top of a laundry machine. The slings are transported by the conveyor to a position over the laundry machine and the bottom is opened to allow the laundry to drop into the machine. The sling or carrier is then returned to a loading point and removed from the hanger and placed in a loading stand.

In operating this type of equipment major difiiculties have been encountered at the laundry drop ofi? point. The sling must be located directly over the opening in the laundry machine to assure that all of the laundry drops into the machine. If the bottom of the sling is merely opened and the laundry is merely dropped, it often misses the opening. Eiforts to overcome this have resulted in the use of slings which have extensions or nozzles on the lower end that drop into the opening in the laundry machine to guide the laundry directly into the machine. When the conveyor is restarted to move the sling to the loading point, the nozzle of the sling which extends into the opening often sticks in the opening.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a laundry sling or carrier for an automatic laundry system that overcomes the above problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a carrier or sling which can be used with an automatic laundry system that is low in cost and easy to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier or sling for laundry equipment which automatically retracts on unloading.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a retractable carrier or sling which has suflicient strength to withstand rough use for a long period of time.

These objects are accomplished by fabricating the sling or carrier from a cylindrical flexible material which is open at both ends. Hoops or rings are secured to the ends and one of the rings is provided with support brackets for suspending the sling in a loading stand. A closeable nozzle or extension is scoured to the other end and forms a guide for the laundry when it is opened. Since the distance between the conveyor and laundry machine is fixed, in order for the sling to clear the machine after the laundry has been dumped, it must be raised before the conveyor is restarted. This is accomplished by securing elastic bands between the rings which expand or stretch to the length of the cylindrical flexible material as the sling is loaded and will contract when unloaded, drawing the nozzle out of the laundry machine. The conveyor can then be restarted without any interference in its motion as a result of the sling sticking in the machine.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an automated laundry system.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the sling supported in a loading stand.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the sling suspended in a loaded condition.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the sling with the bottom opened and extending into the opening of a laundry machine.

FIG. 5 is a side view similar to FIG. 4 with the sling retracted and the nozzle retracted from the top of the laundry machine.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the sling.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the sling or carrier is designed for use in a laundry system such as diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1. Endless conveyor track 10 is shown which passes over pick up station 12, laundry machine 14 and loading station 16. At the pick up station, sling 18 is secured to hanger 20 on the conveyor and raised from a support stand 22 to a height sufiicient to clear the laundry machine. The sling is then transported to a position directly over opening 23 in the laundry machine and opened to allow the laundry to drop into the machine. The sling is then transported to the loading station where it is removed from the hanger on the conveyor and remounted in the support stand.

The sling includes a first ring or hoop 24 and a second ring or hoop 25 of substantially identical outer dimensions. One of the rings is secured to the upper end of a flexible cylindrical bag 26 by wrapping the upper edge of the bag around the ring and passing cord 28 through holes 30 to hold the upper end in position. The bag can be made of any wear-resistant material with nylon being recommended because of its light weight.

Second or lower ring 25 is stitched into the lower end of the bag by cord 32 to form an open-ended cylinder. A closeable nozzle or extension 34 is also stitched into the inside of the bag by cord 32. A nozzle is thus formed at the lower end of the sling which can be closed by interlocking buckles 36 and 38 thnough rings 40 in straps 36, 38' and 40 which are secured to the edges of the extension. The buckles are designed so that they can be released when the sling is suspended over the laundry machine, allowing the nozzle or extension to drop into the opening in the laundry machine. A pair of lifter brackets 54 are secured to the outer edges of the ring by bolts 56 and have apertures 58 for securing the sling to the hanger on the conveyor.

To clear the extension or nozzle from the laundry machine, a set of elastic bands 42 are sewn into the sides of the bag between the two rings. Six bands are shown in the drawing but the number of such bands will depend only on the amount of weight which they must lift. Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 it will be noted that with the bottom of the sling closed and the sling loaded with laundry (FIG. 3), the bands will be fully extended and the weight of the load will be carried by the cylindrical material. The rings will be spaced apart a distance equal to the length of the flexible material. When the buckles are released and the nozzle is opened, the laundry will drop out through the nozzle (FIG. 4). As the weight of the load decreases, the bands will contract, drawing the bottom ring and extension or nozzle upward so that it clears the top of the laundry machine. The conveyor can then be restarted to move the sling away from the laundry machine and on to the next station.

Theline 55 drawn across FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 represents the high point of the laundry machine. With the sling fully loaded (FIG. 3) and suspended on the hanger of the conveyor, the bottom of the sling is shown above the line. When the buckles are released allowing the nozzle to open, the nozzle will drop below the line (FIG. 4), guiding the laundry into the machine. As the weight of the laundry is reduced, elastic bands 42 will contract, drawing the lower ring 25 upward which pulls the nozzle out of the laundry machine so that the nozzle is above the line 55. The sling is, therefore, clear of the top or high point of the laundry machine and can :be moved to the loading station.

When the sling reaches the loading station, it is remounted in one of the loading stands. As seen in FIG. 2, the loading stand merely includes a base 44 having a number of casters 46 secured to the bottom of the base. Vertical uprights 50 are secured to the base and support a half-round flange 52. The upper ring of the sling is positioned in the flange with grooves 60 in the lifter brackets 54 seated on ribs 62 on the flange.

Although only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it should be apparent that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for a laundry system comprising a pair of endless rings,

a bag-like portion of flexible material suspended from one of said rings,

said bag being open at both ends with the upper opening being held open by said one of said rings,

the other of said rings being secured to the lower end of said bag-like portion a spaced distance from the lower end of said bag-like portion,

belt means for closing the end of the bag-like portion extending below said other of said rings, and

a number of elastic members interconnecting said rings,

said elastic members having a contracted length less than the length of the bag-like portion between the two rings and an expanded length greater than the length of the bag-like portion between the rings.

2. A carrier for a laundry system comprising a first circular member having a pair of lift members located on opposite sides thereof,

a flexible tubular member open at both ends,

means securing the upper end of said tubular member 5 to the first circular member,

a second circular member secured to the inside surface of the tubular member a spaced distance from the lower end thereof,

means for closing the lower end of the flexible member,

and

elastic means secured to the flexible member to shorten the distance between the circular members when the flexible member is empty.

3. A carrier according to claim 2 wherein said lift membersdinclude means for supporting said carrier in a support stan 4. A material carrier for a laundry system having a carrier conveyor positioned a predetermined distance above an opening in a laundry machine, comprising an open-ended tubular flexible member having an axial length less than the distance between said conveyor and laundry machine,

elastic means secured to the top and bottom of said flexible member and having a contracted length less than the axial length of said flexible member and an expanded length greater than the axial length of said tubular member,

and closure means secured to the bottom of said tubular member, said closure means forming an extension of the axial length of said tubular member on openwhereby on loading said carrier with material, said flexible member will be extended its full axial length and said closure means will extend into said opening on opening,

said elastic members contracting on unloading of said carrier withdrawing said closure means from said opening in said laundry machine.

5. A material carrier according to claim 4 wherein said 40 tubular member includes a pair of support members secured to the top and the bottom of said tubular member,

the top support member also including means for lifting said carrier on said conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,131 12/1947 Leef l05148 2,904,183 9/1957 Miller 105-148 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

J. E. BABER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARRIER FOR A LAUNDRY SYSTEM COMPRISING A PAIR OF ENDLESS RINGS, A BAG-LIKE PORTION OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL SUSPENDED FROM ONE OF SAID RINGS, SAID BAG BEING OPEN AT BOTH ENDS WITH THE UPPER OPENING BEING HELD OPEN BY SAID ONE OF SAID RINGS, THE OTHER OF SAID RINGS BEING SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID BAG-LIKE PORTION A SPACED DISTANCE FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID BAG-LIKE PORTION, BELT MEANS FOR CLOSING THE END OF THE BAG-LIKE PORTION EXTENDING BELOW SAID OTHER OF SAID RINGS, AND A NUMBER OF ELASTIC MEMBERS INTERCONNECTING SAID RINGS, SAID ELASTIC MEMBERS HAVING A CONTRACTED LENGTH LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF THE BAG-LIKE PORTION BETWEEN THE 